I'm a rather curious person."
Chu Yang gave a perfunctory answer. He couldn't very well say that he knew nothing about martial arts concepts and needed the Nine Yin Manual, this encyclopedia, as a reference.
Otherwise, he might not understand other martial arts…
After giving his reason, Chu Yang was about to destroy the entrance when the tombstone in front of him suddenly vibrated.
Chu Yang retreated a few steps, and the tombstone slowly rotated. A ghostly figure flew out from inside.
"Where did this rude guest come from, so unreasonable, not only bullying my Ancient Tomb Sect disciples but even daring to come to my door to cause trouble?"
The black figure moved like lightning, reaching Chu Yang in the blink of an eye. Huang Rong and Mu Nianci only felt their vision blur, not even having time to shout "Be careful."
Back then, Lin Chaoying chose an unconventional path to defeat Wang Chongyang, so the Ancient Tomb Sect's martial arts prioritized speed over power. Lin Chaoying believed that as long as she could hit Wang Chongyang, it didn't matter how hard the strike was; she would still consider it a win.
To put it bluntly, it was just a girl in love who wanted to win against her boyfriend but couldn't bring herself to be ruthless…
Unfortunately, although Wang Chongyang knew Lin Chaoying's feelings back then, he himself regarded resisting the Jin and Liao as his lifelong wish and couldn't accept her.
Mere speed posed no significant threat to Chu Yang, because Observation Haki could predict the enemy's attacks.
The moment the black figure charged, Chu Yang had already lifted his leg and kicked out.
Almost as soon as the line was spoken, the person's face slammed directly into Chu Yang's foot with a miserable cry of "Ah," flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground.
Only then did Huang Rong and Mu Nianci clearly see who had attacked Chu Yang—a grandma of fifty or sixty years old…
"Oh dear! Grandma, are you alright?" Mu Nianci covered her mouth and cried out, quickly stepping forward to help the old grandma up.
Chu Yang also felt a bit awkward. As he walked, he scratched his head and said, "Elder, I didn't do it on purpose, please forgive me."
The footprint on the old grandma's face was so clear that at first glance, it looked like a tattoo.
This perfectly placed kick not only interrupted the elder's attack but also successfully caused her to sprain her back. When Mu Nianci went to help her up, her face looked like it was wearing a mask of pain.
"Ow, ow, ow…"
The old elder's pained cries made Chu Yang feel even more ashamed. He was a five-good youth born under the red flag; when had he ever done something so bullying to an elder?
"Xiao Huang! Quickly go check on the elder! What are you staring at?"
Chu Yang turned his head and winked at Huang Rong, who was staring blankly at the tombstone.
"Xiao Chu, there seems to be a child there…"
Huang Rong pointed to the cave entrance behind the tombstone. A tender, pink little girl was hiding there, peeking out cautiously.
"So cute, like a doll!!!"
Huang Rong's eyes were filled with hearts, as if she had seen her beloved toy, and she darted forward in an instant.
"Long'er, hide quickly!"
The old grandma's expression changed, and she cried out anxiously.
The little girl seemed startled and turned to run, disappearing into the dark entrance. Huang Rong felt a little scared and stopped by the tombstone.
"Elder, please don't be nervous. I have no ill will towards the Ancient Tomb Sect, nor will I harm you. I just want to see what Grandmaster Wang Chongyang left inside. I'll leave after I see it, I won't stay."
Chu Yang tried his best to smile more kindly.
"I've lived here for more than ten years, and I've never heard of Wang Chongyang leaving anything behind. Don't even think about deceiving this old woman!"
The old grandma was gasping from the pain of her herniated disc, her eyes still glaring fiercely at Chu Yang.
Chu Yang pursed his lips, "It's a matter between a husband and wife; they wouldn't tell you every detail. You're not a dowry maid."
The old grandma was so angry she glared blankly.
"Grandma, please calm down first. I'll massage your back."
Mu Nianci placed her hands on the old grandma's waist. The latter first shivered, then her expression softened considerably, suggesting that Mu Nianci's massage was effective.
She had followed Yang Tiexin on his martial arts adventures for many years, and almost all of Yang Tiexin's injuries were cared for by her, so over time, she developed a skill.
Seeing this, Huang Rong also stepped forward to help the old grandma with her back injury. Her father was Huang Yaoshi, a famous polymath with extraordinary medical skills, and she had learned a great deal from him since childhood.
The two girls' gentle offensive quickly won over the old grandma. Her attitude became much better than before, and after hesitating for a while, she introduced herself.
She was Grandma Sun.
Grandma Sun was not Lin Chaoying's disciple; she was someone Lin Chaoying had incidentally rescued. Only after persistent pleading was she allowed to enter the Ancient Tomb Sect, nominally serving as the Ancient Tomb Sect's housekeeper.
Lin Chaoying's personal disciple was her close maid, who was also the master of Little Dragon Girl and Li Mochou.
This person had passed away not long ago, which was why Grandma Sun and Li Mochou were so sensitive.
Huang Rong was very good at making elders happy. Before long, she learned about the Ancient Tomb Sect's current predicament, where it was struggling to find new talent, from Grandma Sun.
Actually, it wasn't that big of a deal.
For a sect like the Ancient Tomb Sect, which was detached from worldly affairs, even if it was struggling, after waiting for one or two decades, the next generation of disciples would grow up.
For example, Li Mochou became the notorious Crimson Armored Immortal in about ten years…
Grandma Sun's current situation was similar to Li Mochou's earlier.
Chu Yang's kick just now had already made the elder realize whose fist was harder. Her friendly attitude was partly due to her taking advantage of the situation.
The group followed the long stone path downwards. The dark and damp environment created a strong horror movie vibe.
Grandma Sun felt the two hands grasping her arms tightening, so she chuckled happily, "Little girls, don't be scared, it's just this part of the path that's dark. It'll be fine further down."
As Grandma Sun said, after passing through the narrow stone path, the space ahead suddenly opened up.
"It was here that Wang Chongyang opened up his secluded cultivation chamber back then."
Grandma Sun introduced the Ancient Tomb Sect to the two young girls with a proud expression.
She originally thought they would marvel at the Ancient Tomb Sect's uncanny craftsmanship, but unexpectedly, Huang Rong and Mu Nianci were very calm, even a little bored.
Grandma Sun was stunned.
She didn't know that Huang Rong and Mu Nianci had already seen even more impressive things.
Compared to Chu Yang's miraculous method of creating new wonders in a confined space, opening up a stone chamber in a mountain was truly not that amazing.
Grandma Sun awkwardly turned around, cleared her throat, and said, "Ahem, Little brother, this is the Ancient Tomb Sect. What exactly is the item Wang Chongyang left behind? This old woman has been here for many years, and I've indeed never heard Grandmaster mention it."
Chu Yang didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "May I ask, Grandma, which is the tomb chamber where you enshrine Grandmaster Lin Chaoying?"
Grandma Sun replied with some difficulty, "That is a vital area of our sect; outsiders are not permitted to enter."
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Seeing this, Huang Rong quickly stepped forward, took Grandma Sun's hand, and cooed, "Grandma, we're not here to cause trouble. The reason we want to enter Grandmaster Lin Chaoying's tomb chamber is purely out of admiration for such an extraordinary woman; we wish to pay our respects!"
"Xiao Chu said that Grandmaster Lin Chaoying's martial arts talent was far superior to Wang Chongyang's, but she was merely trapped by love, which is why she was willing to fall behind others. If it truly came down to it, she was the real number one in the world!"
The eloquent Huang Rong showered Grandma Sun with flattery, making her feel as if she were floating on air. Let alone her, even if Lin Chaoying were to revive, she probably couldn't resist.
Chu Yang rolled his eyes. He had never said anything like that to Huang Rong, though he himself did feel that Lin Chaoying's talent and ability were higher than Wang Chongyang's.
The Yunu Xin Jing (Jade Maiden Heart Sutra) countered all of the Quanzhen Sect's martial arts. Wang Chongyang was completely unable to counter the moves in the Yunu Xin Jing (Jade Maiden Heart Sutra) and was forced to give up. Later, after winning the Mount Hua Sword Conference and obtaining the Nine Yin Manual, he drew upon the martial arts profoundness within it to devise a counter-method, evening the score.
"Little brother's family has been close with Wang Chongyang for generations, and to be able to offer such a fair assessment makes this old woman look at you in a new light. Very well, since that's the case, I'll take you to pay respects to Grandmaster Lin Chaoying."
At this time, Little Dragon Girl and Li Mochou had not yet grown up and could not be called the Ancient Tomb Sect's sect leader. Grandma Sun, as the housekeeper, making the decision was not considered overstepping her bounds.
Afterward, Grandma Sun led the three of them to Lin Chaoying's tomb chamber, which was also the tomb chamber for successive sect leaders of the Ancient Tomb Sect.
Li Mochou's master had just been buried, and a hundred years later, Little Dragon Girl would also be buried here.
After walking for a while, Chu Yang, who was at the end of the group, suddenly heard a sound behind him. The sound of a sharp sword cutting through the air reached his ears.
"Thief, take this sword!"
"Miss, stop!"
Two voices rang out one after another.
Chu Yang used Armament Haki to block the surprise attack from behind, but the moment the sword tip pierced his back, he suddenly felt a slight prickling sensation.
Although it was very faint and negligible, it indicated that the internal energy carried by the sword tip had broken through the defense of Armament Haki!
Chu Yang was a little surprised.
Unfortunately, Li Mochou's internal energy was too weak, and the long sword in her hand shattered with a crash, sending her flying backward.
Grandma Sun's expression changed dramatically. Although Li Mochou was young, her internal energy was already at a respectable level. That Little brother surnamed Chu actually managed to send her flying with just his raw physical strength. His hard qigong mastery was truly astonishing!
Li Mochou fell head over heels, seeing stars, and was too much in pain to speak.
"Senior Sister!"
From a distance, it was that delicate, jade-like little doll again, rushing towards Li Mochou. However, she could barely walk steadily, and running was even more like drunk boxing, swaying back and forth.
As expected, she fell with a solid thud on her bottom, sitting on the ground and wailing loudly.
Grandma Sun stepped forward to help Li Mochou up, then held the little girl in her arms, comforting her in a low voice for a few moments, before turning to Li Mochou and saying, "Miss Mochou, Mr. Chu and the others mean no harm. They just want to come and pay respects to Grandmaster Lin Chaoying. You must not be rude again!"
Li Mochou glared angrily at Chu Yang. It was all thanks to this man; she had fallen hard twice today, and her body felt like it was falling apart!
"Grandma, they are clearly bad people…"
"Shut up!"
Grandma Sun, for once, spoke harshly to Li Mochou, scaring the latter greatly and abruptly cutting off her words.
Whether they were old friends or bad people, for Grandma Sun now, the most important thing was for both sides to be safe and sound. As for what Chu Yang and the others wanted to take away, she no longer wanted to inquire.
If she insisted on pursuing it, today might very well be the day the Ancient Tomb Sect was annihilated. If something truly went wrong, how could she explain it to Grandmaster Lin Chaoying in the afterlife?
Seeing the atmosphere become awkward again, Huang Rong immediately transformed into an ice-breaker. She walked over to Grandma Sun and started teasing the little girl. Before long, the softly weeping little girl was laughing uncontrollably because of her.
"Grandma, what's this little cutie's name?"
"Her name is Long'er. She's an orphan adopted by the sect leader."
"Long'er? What a pretty name. Be good, Long'er, don't be scared. Big brother and big sister aren't bad people, don't worry."
Long'er lay in Grandma Sun's arms, her round eyes wide, observing Huang Rong. Then her gaze shifted, fixing on Chu Yang.
It was indeed Little Dragon Girl…
Mu Nianci also stepped forward to tease Little Dragon Girl.
"Hahahaha, that tickles, big sister, no."